Court strikes out Umno suit to reclaim RM116.7m impounded by police

The Royal Malaysia Police and the government today succeeded in striking out the suit filed by Umno to have RM116.7 million impounded by the police during last year’s raids on Pavilion Residences, to be returned to the party.

High Court Judge Nik Hasmat Nik Mohamad allowed the application by the defendants to strike out the suit by the party in chambers in the presence of senior federal counsel S Narkunavathy and lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh representing Umno.

Speaking to reporters, Narkunavathy said the defendants’ application was allowed on grounds that the suit was trivial, abused the court process and was scandalous.

She said the court also found that Umno did not have a locus standi and that there was no cause of reasonable action to sue the defendants.

“As such, the court strikes out the suit filed by Umno and orders the party to pay cost of RM7,000 to all defendants,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hariharan said the plaintiff would file an appeal against the court decision soon.

Umno filed the application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Sept 21, 2018, demanding the seized money totalling RM116.7 million to be returned to the party.

In its statement of claims, Umno, among other things, sought a declaration that the raids and the impoundment carried out on May 17, 2018, at the premises on Tower B, Pavilion Residences, Jalan Raja Chulan, were wrongful in terms of the law.

The party named Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) deputy director (intelligence/operation) Mohd Sakri Arifin, CCID assistant police commissioner R Rajagopal, Amar Singh Ishar Singh who was the then Bukit Aman JSJK director, the inspector-general of police and the government, as the first to fifth defendants.

They also sought an order for the return of money amounting to RM43.3 million, which was the difference in amount between RM160 million and RM116.7 million to Umno.